Your Blogging Staff

Contributing to this blog:
- "Dave" is Dave Barry, who is a humor columnist and presidential contender.
- "judi" is Judi Smith, who is Dave's Research Department, as well as being interested in men.
- "Walter" is Walter, a bone from the penis of a walrus.

I just wish that my local Best Buy and Target would actually demagnetize their products after purchase and have a working sensormatic system to let them be warned when something is being stolen. I cannot tell you howmany times I have walked in to other stores and been searched because the alarm went off.

The ones I *especially* like despise are the 12"x16"x3" clear plastic containers in Costco that contain... a phone card. ISIANMTU

Even better are the ones (about the same size) that contain a picture of an iPod. Take it to checkout, buy it and they give you another box with the actual iPod in it. (Whether you get to keep the empty box or if the picture is of the actual same iPod, I don't know.)

If the power-that-be were serious about being anti-smoking, they would be packaged similarly. Nothing can be opened by hand anymore, though I seriously doubt anyone's opening an XBox 360 and slipping it into their pocket, though people can be quite enterprising when need be.

I would agree Annie, If it had happened on the way out. But this is as I am entering the stores. Usually the Office Max next door. I have to admit one thing though, after 17 years in retail. I wouldnt want to have to put up with a third of the crap that the store employees have to in the South Boston/ Dorchester Target. Christmas in the toy section is a war zone. They spend hours straightening it up and by the time they finish the last aisle the first one is a wreck again.

That's what I want to know. "blister packs" or "PVC packaging" or whatever they want to call these things are not going to deter someone who really, really, really wants to steal them--unless they weigh a lot (they don't) or unless they're not 'pocket-sized' (depends on the object).

After having spent over 10 years in record/tape/CD retailing, I can definitely say that 'size does matter' in this regard. These packaging people have the right idea, but their execution stinks...

I can't come up with a funny comment because this kind of packaging pisses me off. I was trying to get my baby's toy Elmo phone open the other day and it took me 20 minutes, with her saying "Mine! Mine!" the whole time. Mommy said a bad word, and we both had to have a time out. The stupid thing cost $8. Other $8 items are not packaged this way. Maybe if they get sued a few times, it will become cost-effective to come up with some other kind of packaging. Shrinkage, my lilly white ass. These people are sadists.

Yeah, dontcha just love it on Christmas morning when you're trying to open the package and unscrew the one million twisty-ties while your 2 yr old is doing the screaming-hissy-fit-dance-from-Hell because you won't give her her toy.

"As a consumer myself of other products, I've always wondered how the heck do I get this open," said Paul Chen, PDP's vice president of content and licensing. "We could probably do a better job to outline the best way to open this product. That is something to consider."

AND LET THE CHURCH SAY A!MEN!

I've broken fingernails, cut myself, and have come close to committing mayhem JUST to open those #*#!!$ packages.

I have also been known to return an item to the store. When asked "Is there a problem with it", I've said, "Yes, I can't use it because I can't get to it." B@st Buy couldn't even open one computer item I attempted to buy.

THIS would be one class action lawsuit I'd be happy to join. My luck, though, my lawfirm would be defending it and I'd end up working on it.

Annie, that is just wishful thinking. What they will likely do is create a product that opens packaging (single use only) that we have to pay a minimum of $24.99 for and comes completely enclosed in a blister pack for which there is an entirely different package opening product marketed on the side.

I say we just go back to giving our children blocks of wood to play with and to h*ll with it.

I have found heavy duty tin cutters to work quite well on the otherwise impossible plastic packaging. My two girls seem to be favorably impressed when I resort to using the cutters to open the package. Whether they are impressed with my cleverness or the package's resilience is hard to say.

CR ~ OK, so my PC doesn't have sound, but I stared at that demo for about 3 or four minutes, and it looks to me like that Pyranna (not "piranha") guy has had to swipe that thingie on the plastic package, like, 250 times. And he shows no signs of stopping. This is progress...?

My personal system to open such packaging is to use one of my various "hunting" knives, with the "gut hook" blade on the back side of the regular blade ... a careful puncture to insert the "hook" and then zipzipzip and my package is open, without cutting any fingers, clothing or household (or motel) furnishings ... no dangerous sharp, pointy parts (on the "hook" side)

Of course, I carry such a tool every day, to use at work, and the last one I bought cost $40 ... but still ... it werks (very well, thank you) for me ... merely ... uninjured ...